Scrap Agniveer, revive old system: Ex-serviceman

Our Correspondent

Dharamshala, February 3

Major General Dharamveer Singh Rana (retd), Special Advisor to the Ex-Servicemen League (Kangra-Chamba), has strongly advocated for the restoration of the old recruitment system instead of the recently introduced Agniveer scheme.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, he said there is a sharp decline in the number of the youth of the state joining the defence services.

Earlier, around 4,000 youngsters from the state were being recruited in the defence services each year. However, the figure has dropped down to 500 now, implying a loss of about 3,500 pensionable jobs each year.

Major General Rana, who previously held office as the Chairman of the Himachal Public Service Commission, said the government’s decision to fix a quota proportionate to state population is not in the interest of the state.

He strongly advocated in support of the old recruitment scheme and called for the scrapping of the Agniveer scheme in the interest of the nation, citing ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ by General M M Narvane, a book that criticises the Agniveer scheme.

According to the General, India is surrounded by enemies all around.

“Unlike the USA or Australia, we cannot afford to keep a contractual army. For any future land war, the spirit of the youth has to be kept high.

The government has drastically curtailed the entitlement benefits of the men in uniform post retirement,” he said while speaking to The Tribune.

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